Geography & Culture · country guide

Venezuela facts for kids: nature, history and culture

Venezuela is a country on the Caribbean coast of South America with about 28.5 million people.[1] It has tabletop mountains called tepuis, Caribbean beaches, the Andes and the plains of the Orinoco River, plus colorful festivals with masked dancers. This guide covers the five topics students ask about most.

History and the town of Coro

Many Indigenous peoples lived in Venezuela before Europeans arrived, and many Indigenous communities still live there today. Spain colonized the region in the 1500s.

Coro, in the state of Falcón, was founded in 1527 and is one of the earliest colonial towns on South America’s Caribbean coast.[2] It was the first capital of the Captaincy General of Venezuela, and in 1531 it became the seat of the first bishopric in continental America.[2] Its nearby port, La Vela, was the first town in South America to gain independence from Spain.[2]

Coro’s houses are built of earth with traditional techniques such as bahareque, adobe and rammed earth, which builders still use today.[2] Coro and its port are a UNESCO World Heritage site.[2] In the 1800s Venezuela became an independent republic.

Nature: tepuis and Canaima

Some of the most unusual mountains on Earth are found in southeastern Venezuela. They are called tepuis: tall mountains with flat tops and steep cliff sides that rise above the forest and grasslands. UNESCO describes tepuis as table-top mountains found only in the Guiana Shield, the ancient region of rock shared by Venezuela and its neighbors.[8]

Canaima National Park, in this region, has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1994.[3][9] Its tepuis and rivers form spectacular waterfalls, including Angel Falls, often described as the highest waterfall in the world.[9] The tepui part of the park alone covers about 2 million hectares, and it is closely linked to the Gran Sabana, a wide high grassland where rivers run between the tepuis.[10]

Venezuela also has a long Caribbean coastline with islands, the snowy peaks of the Andes in the west and the Llanos, wide grassy plains crossed by the Orinoco River. This variety makes Venezuela home to many plants and animals.

Festivals: dancing devils and the El Callao carnival

On Venezuela’s central coast, small communities celebrate the Feast of Corpus Christi with the Dancing Devils.[4] Dancers wear devil masks made by their own groups, along with crosses and blessed palm leaves.[4] They dance backward before the Blessed Sacrament and finally kneel before it, a symbol of good winning over evil.[4] This tradition joined UNESCO’s intangible heritage list in 2012.[4]

In the town of El Callao, the carnival runs from January to March with calypso music, dancing and concerts in the streets.[5] Parades include characters such as madamas, medio-pintos, miners and devils with masks and whips.[5] The Carnival of El Callao joined UNESCO’s list in 2016.[5]

Both festivals show how Venezuelan culture mixes Indigenous, African, European and Caribbean influences.

Food: cassava bread and arepas

Cassava bread, or casabe, is one of Venezuela’s oldest foods. UNESCO lists the knowledge and practices for making and eating cassava bread as shared heritage of Venezuela, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Honduras.[6]

People peel, wash and grate the cassava root, dry the pulp, sift it into flour and cook the dough on hot plates, usually over a wood fire.[6] UNESCO explains that the bread connects communities with their Indigenous and African heritage.[6]

The arepa, a round corn cake that can be filled with cheese, beans, meat or avocado, is Venezuela’s best-known everyday food. Many Venezuelan families also make hallacas, corn dough filled with stew and wrapped in plantain leaves, for the Christmas season.

Caracas and people

Caracas, the capital, sits in a mountain valley near the Caribbean coast. Its University City, the main campus of the Central University of Venezuela, was designed by the architect Carlos Raúl Villanueva and built between 1940 and 1960.[7] UNESCO calls it an outstanding example of modern architecture, with works of art such as Alexander Calder’s "Clouds" in its main hall.[7]

About 28.5 million people live in Venezuela.[1] Spanish is the main language, and many Indigenous languages are also spoken. Venezuelan music, such as joropo from the plains, is played with the harp, the cuatro, a small four-string guitar, and maracas.

Venezuela has three UNESCO World Heritage sites: Coro and its Port, Canaima National Park and the University City of Caracas.[3] Students can compare Venezuela with its neighbors, Colombia and Brazil, on our South America page.

Free printable: map of South America (PDF)

Questions people ask

What is Venezuela famous for?

Venezuela is famous for its tepuis and Canaima National Park, Angel Falls, arepas, the Dancing Devils and the historic town of Coro.[2][3][4]

What language do they speak in Venezuela?

People in Venezuela speak Spanish. Many Indigenous languages are spoken too.

What is a tepui?

A tall mountain with a flat top and steep cliffs, found only in the Guiana Shield region.[8]

When was Coro founded?

Coro was founded in 1527 and was the first capital of the Captaincy General of Venezuela.[2]

What are Venezuela's World Heritage sites?

Coro and its Port, Canaima National Park and the University City of Caracas.[3]

Sources

  1. World Bank Open Data: Venezuela, RB · data.worldbank.org/country/venezuela-rb (accessed 2026-10-30)
  2. UNESCO World Heritage Centre: Coro and its Port · whc.unesco.org/en/list/658 (accessed 2026-10-30)
  3. UNESCO World Heritage Centre: Venezuela (State Party page) · whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/ve (accessed 2026-10-30)
  4. UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage: Venezuela's Dancing Devils of Corpus Christi · ich.unesco.org/en/RL/venezuela-s-dancing-devils-of-corpus-christi-00639 (accessed 2026-10-30)
  5. UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage: Carnival of El Callao · ich.unesco.org/en/RL/carnival-of-el-callao-a-festive-representation-of-a-memory-and-cultural-identity-01198 (accessed 2026-10-30)
  6. UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage: Traditional knowledge and practices for the making and consumption of cassava bread · ich.unesco.org/en/RL/traditional-knowledge-and-practices-for-the-making-and-consumption-of-cassava-bread-02118 (accessed 2026-10-30)
  7. UNESCO World Heritage Centre: Ciudad Universitaria de Caracas · whc.unesco.org/en/list/986 (accessed 2026-10-30)
  8. UNESCO World Heritage Centre: Chiribiquete National Park (tepuis of the Guiana Shield) · whc.unesco.org/en/list/1174 (accessed 2026-10-30)
  9. UNESCO World Heritage Centre: Canaima National Park · whc.unesco.org/en/list/701 (accessed 2026-10-30)
  10. UNESCO World Heritage Centre: State of conservation report, Canaima National Park (1999) · whc.unesco.org/en/soc/2327 (accessed 2026-10-30)

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